Latest news with #BatonBerisha
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Iconic award-winning restaurant famed for 6-foot tall robot waiter & hidden members' ‘den' to shut for good in days
The owners are also closing a beloved pub WAIT A MINUTE Iconic award-winning restaurant famed for 6-foot tall robot waiter & hidden members' 'den' to shut for good in days AN ICONIC steak restaurant where diners were served by a six-foot Champagne robot will close its doors in just a few days time. The eatery has offered fine dining, with signature features including a concealed members' den, for more than a decade. 4 M Restaurant used to be attended by London's elite Credit: Alamy 4 M featured in the prestigious Square Mile of London's inner city Credit: google maps 4 Marion the champagne robot will be powering down this week Credit: Facebook M Restaurant, the decadent dinner spot located in London's central Square Mile, will shut for good in only a few days time. The exact closure date is currently unknown, but City A.M. reports it will shut at some point this week. M Restaurant boasted a series of signature features, including an extravagant yacht which could be chartered for meals on the Thames. There were other eye-catching headliners such as a six-foot robotic waiter serving Champagne waiter, a hidden member's 'den', dog-friendly brunches, and even vending machines just for wine. The decision to close the restaurant comes less than a year since M's founder, Martin Williams, left its parent company Rare Restaurants in October. He was succeeded by the enterprise's new chief executive, Baton Berisha, who took over in March. There is speculation that a review of M's rent on Threadneedle Street in central London has contributed to its closure. Moreover, it is understood that Mr Berisha is focused on Rare's Gaucho restaurant brand, which makes up the company's core. Consequently, the company is also set to close the Crane Tap pub in Twickenham next week. This will leave Rare Restaurants with only Gaucho restaurants in its portfolio. Thankfully, no redundancies are expected at either M or the Crane Tap. Instead, staff will be offered work at Gaucho restaurants near to the closing establishments. Beloved pizza chain to close down for good in just weeks after 54 years There are currently no scheduled closures of Gaucho restaurants. Rare Restaurants has declined to comment either publicly, or when approached by the Sun. In its heyday, M Restaurant was a City of London staple for high-flying diners. The iconic eatery opened its doors back in 2014, and quickly became a second home for bustling business people. The establishment imported steaks and grapes from across the globe with a first class kitchen and wine cellar. Its roaring success led to a second branch opening in Victoria in 2015, and even a third restaurant being added in Canary Wharf just three years ago. But, like so many other businesses, M has struggled to recover from hard times during and after the pandemic. These led to the Canary Wharf and Victoria branches closing in 2023 - which will be joined by the Square Mile eatery this week. Mr Williams, M's founder and former owner, is now chief executive at Evolv, which operates restaurants including the Michelin starred Angler. He has said he would not bring M Restaurant into his Evolv portfolio. Speaking to City A.M. last year, he said: "M Restaurant was a moment in time and it was really special. It's 10 years old and, at its peak, we had everyone in the City there. "You could smell the room – it was a powerhouse. Everybody there knew somebody else. 'I don't think I'd put my name on a restaurant today [M stands for Martin]. "In 2014 it felt like the right thing to do, and it was very memorable. But it makes the restaurant so attached to you personally and reliant on you being there. "I loved what I did, we built that company from nothing and sold it for £8 million."
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Iconic award-winning restaurant famed for 6-foot tall robot waiter & hidden members' ‘den' to shut for good in days
AN ICONIC steak restaurant where diners were served by a six-foot Champagne robot will close its doors in just a few days time. The eatery has offered fine dining, with signature features including a concealed members' den, for more than a decade. 4 4 4 M Restaurant, the decadent dinner spot located in London's central Square Mile, will shut for good in only a few days time. The exact closure date is currently unknown, but City A.M. reports it will shut at some point this week. M Restaurant boasted a series of signature features, including an extravagant yacht which could be chartered for meals on the Thames. There were other eye-catching headliners such as a six-foot robotic waiter serving Champagne waiter, a hidden member's 'den', dog-friendly brunches, and even vending machines just for wine. The decision to close the restaurant comes less than a year since M's founder, Martin Williams, left its parent company Rare Restaurants in October. He was succeeded by the enterprise's new chief executive, Baton Berisha, who took over in March. There is speculation that a review of M's rent on Threadneedle Street in central London has contributed to its closure. Moreover, it is understood that Mr Berisha is focused on Rare's Gaucho restaurant brand, which makes up the company's core. Consequently, the company is also set to close the Crane Tap pub in Twickenham next week. This will leave Rare Restaurants with only Gaucho restaurants in its portfolio. Thankfully, no redundancies are expected at either M or the Crane Tap. Instead, staff will be offered work at Gaucho restaurants near to the closing establishments. Beloved pizza chain to close down for good in just weeks after 54 years There are currently no scheduled closures of Gaucho restaurants. Rare Restaurants has declined to comment either publicly, or when approached by the Sun. In its heyday, M Restaurant was a City of London staple for high-flying diners. The iconic eatery opened its doors back in 2014, and quickly became a second home for bustling business people. The establishment imported steaks and grapes from across the globe with a first class kitchen and wine cellar. Its roaring success led to a second branch opening in Victoria in 2015, and even a third restaurant being added in Canary Wharf just three years ago. But, like so many other businesses, M has struggled to recover from hard times during and after the pandemic. These led to the Canary Wharf and Victoria branches closing in 2023 - which will be joined by the Square Mile eatery this week. Mr Williams, M's founder and former owner, is now chief executive at Evolv, which operates restaurants including the Michelin starred Angler. He has said he would not bring M Restaurant into his Evolv portfolio. Speaking to City A.M. last year, he said: "M Restaurant was a moment in time and it was really special. It's 10 years old and, at its peak, we had everyone in the City there. "You could smell the room – it was a powerhouse. Everybody there knew somebody else. 'I don't think I'd put my name on a restaurant today [M stands for Martin]. "In 2014 it felt like the right thing to do, and it was very memorable. But it makes the restaurant so attached to you personally and reliant on you being there. "I loved what I did, we built that company from nothing and sold it for £8 million." 4
